NetEase Games and Starry Studio announced Thursday that Once Human will launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on August 25.
This launch will bring a new first-person perspective option and full cross-play and cross-progression support across PC, PlayStation and Xbox from day one.
The free-to-play survival game, set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by supernatural “anomalies,” has been available on PC since its 2024 launch. The console version will let players switch freely between third-person and first-person views at any time, a feature the developers say is designed to take advantage of larger 4K displays.
Console players will have access to six scenarios and a PvP spin-off mode at launch, which the studio says adds up to more than 300 hours of content. The PS5 and Xbox versions will support a Quality Mode running at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second, and a Performance Mode targeting 120 frames per second. The console release also adds controller-specific haptic feedback, including distinct rumble patterns for large enemy encounters, adjustable trigger resistance during boss fights, and tactile feedback tied to loot drops.
Pre-orders opened Thursday on both the PlayStation Store and Microsoft Store, with two purchasable packages. The $9.99 Starter Pack includes a cradle skin, three weapon skins, a 30-day “METAPASS,” a home facility skin and profile customization items. The $14.99 Radiance Pack adds three character skins, a premium battle pass, a 30-day METAPASS, two lottery tokens and an exclusive avatar frame.
Once Human has built a sizable audience since launch, drawing comparisons to other “extraction”-adjacent survival titles for its crafting and base-building systems layered onto combat against mutated creatures. The console debut extends that reach to PlayStation and Xbox players who don’t already own a PC capable of running it, while crossplay support means friends across platforms can play together without maintaining separate progress.
NetEase Games, the gaming division of NetEase Inc., publishes a range of other titles including Marvel Rivals, Knives Out and Naraka: Bladepoint, and has existing partnerships with Warner Bros. and Mojang, the Microsoft-owned studio behind Minecraft.
The company has not announced pricing changes or platform-exclusive content beyond the pre-order packages, and has not said whether the first-person mode will eventually come to PC.
The console launch also reflects a broader industry pattern: NetEase has been steadily expanding its console footprint after building its business on PC and mobile titles in China and abroad. The company already has Marvel Rivals and Naraka: Bladepoint on PlayStation and Xbox, and Once Human’s console debut — arriving two years after its PC launch rather than day-and-date — follows a familiar playbook among Chinese publishers of proving a live-service title’s staying power on PC before committing engineering resources to console ports.
That Once Human held onto a meaningful player base long enough to justify the investment, even as its peak concurrent numbers fell well short of its 2024 highs, suggests that NetEase sees console crossplay as a way to extend the game’s lifecycle rather than chase a second launch spike.